1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of camouflaged hunting blinds, and more particularly, to a layout-type blind in which a hunter hides in a reclining position, and rises to a sitting position for shooting.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are numerous examples of hunting blinds with integral seats and camouflage covers that are the subject of issued patents or published applications, hut none of these inventions includes the structural features and functional advantages of the present invention, most notably:                A frame structure that allows a hunter to comfortably lie motionless for an extended period of time in a stable low-profile reclining position with the feet lower than the head.        A rocker system that allows the hunter to rock up into a sitting position for shooting with less effort and less time than required for prior-art blinds.        A frame that requires no moving parts to assist the hunter in rising from a reclining to a sitting position.        A frame having stop legs that contact the ground surface when the blind is in the fully reclined position. These stop legs prevent the blind from rocking back too far and keep the blind and hunter in a stable, stationary position when fully reclined.        A frame that keeps the hunter above the ground surface for warmth and comfort.        A frame that is lightweight and may be economically shaped to be carried on the back (like a backpack) into and out of the field. Hunting supplies, harvested game, etc. may be easily strapped to the blind for transport when she third is in the backpack position.        A frame that may be shaped so as to function as a sled to haul hunting equipment and the blind itself to and from the hunting site.        A frame that may comprise optional removable wheels so as to function as a cart to haul hunting equipment and the blind itself to and from the hunting site, and in which the wheels may be removed for hunting in order to keep the hunter's profile as low to the ground as possible.        A shroud component that disguises the shape and contours of the blind and hunter for better camouflage. The free-form shape of the shroud eliminates right angles and the boxlike-shapes common in prior-art blinds, thereby making the present invention less noticeable to birds. The color and pattern of the shroud may be selected to provide optimal camouflage for a particular terrain type (for example, harvested corn field, beet field, bare dirt, snow, river cobble).        A frame and shroud that are designed for rapid setup and takedown in the field, as compared to other layout blinds.        A frame and shroud that are made of materials that allow the blind to be inexpensively manufactured as compared to other layout blinds.        A frame that allows for easy ingress and egress for less mobile hunters.        An optional conical-shaped base that assists in horizontally swiveling the blind and a low-friction seat that assists in horizontally swiveling the hunter so that the hunter can achieve a better shooting position for targets to either side of the blind.        Optional compartments that may be installed near the foot end of the structure for storage of field supplies such as ammunition, thermos bottle, lunch etc. Placing materials into the compartments will cause the center of gravity of the blind to move toward the feet of the hunter, thereby requiring less effort for the hunter to rise from the reclining to the shooting position.        An optional telescoping seatback support, leg rest support, and/or headrest that allow the blind to be adjusted to fit burners of different heights.        Optional length adjusters on the recliner stop legs that provide the best combination of comfort, ability to rise, and disguise, for hunters of different weights and preferences.        
Examples of prior art inventions are discussed below:
A low-profile sportsman's seat with a relocatable backrest is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,928 (Ransom, 2004). The apparatus folds up for carry on a strap. The apparatus does not comprise any features that allow a user to rock from a reclining to a sitting position.
A portable hunting chair with fabric camouflage sides and roof is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,997,291 (Gressette et al., 2011). The apparatus folds up and has shoulder straps for carrying. It does not comprise any features that allow a user to rock from a reclining to a sitting position.
A portable pit blind is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,906 (Ward, 1998). This apparatus is a shell with a cover that is designed to be buried in the ground, with the top of the cover approximately at ground level, in order to hide a hunter positioned within the shell. There is no provision for the apparatus to rock or otherwise move in relation to the ground that would aid the hunter in rising from a reclining to a sitting position.
A power-assisted hunting prop that launches a hunter from a reclining to a shooting position is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,627 (Risetter, 1999). The apparatus is powered by twin coil springs that are compressed by the hunter when the backrest of the apparatus is pushed downward to a reclining position. When the reclining hunter pulls a trigger cord, the spring tension is released, thereby pushing the backrest upward to an angled position, which raises the hunter to a partially inclined shooting position. Unlike the present invention, this invention comprises multiple mechanical parts that move in relation to each other each time the apparatus is cocked and released, in a manner somewhat similar to a large mouse trap. The springs and other moving parts of this invention provide inherent safety risks for the user (such as pinched hands, accidental releases, etc.). These risks are eliminated by the present invention because it contains no moving parts. In addition, the mechanical components of this apparatus are inherently more prone to failure under field conditions than the simple but effective rocker mechanism of the present invention.
A foldable chair that is suitable for use in hunting is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,712 (Livingston et al., 2001). This apparatus does not have any features that assist the user in rising from a reclining to a sitting position.
A collapsible hunting blind is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,131B2 (Latschaw, 2004). This apparatus is an example of a conventional folding layout blind that comprises a collapsible frame and a camouflage cover. This apparatus does not have any features that assist the user in rising from a reclining to a sitting position or for enabling the user to swivel from side to side. The “rotatable” connections that are described in this patent are hinged connections that allow the frame to be folded for compact transport and storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,575,241 (Keller, 2009) discloses an apparatus designed to assist a hunter in rising from a supine (reclining) to a sitting position by means of a hinged backrest. In use, the backrest is raised from the horizontal to the vertical position by the hunter shifting his body position downward, so that less weight is applied to the top of the backrest, causing the backrest to pivot like a seesaw. The raising of the backrest may be assisted by biasing springs that are optionally adjustable for individual users. The apparatus comprises wheels to aid in transport to and from the hunting location. The hinges and optional spring components of this invention are eliminated by the rocker design of the present invention.
A hunting swivel chair is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 2009/0243345A1 (Carter et al., 2009). The apparatus has adjustable-height lags and a swivel base, but it does not provide for a reclining position.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,514 (Redmann, 2010) discloses an adjustable chair that is particularly suited for hunting. The apparatus comprises a seatback and a seat platform that are adjustable prior to use (for example, they may be set to upright or to reclined) but that are not designed to aid the hunter in rising from a reclined to an upright position during use. The apparatus incorporates a swivel seat feature to allow the user to rotate from side to side.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,982 (Loney, 2011) discloses a compact, collapsible chair (similar in shape to a chaise lounge without legs) comprising a frame that may be folded into a very compact size for backpacking, etc. This apparatus does not have any features that assist the user in rising from a reclining to a sitting position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,807 (Maher, 2002) discloses a hunting blind/decoy comprised of a swivel seat and an oversized bird decoy that fits over the seat and hunter. This apparatus does not comprise any features to assist the user in rising from a reclining to a sitting position.
U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2010/0019550 (Cook et. al., 2010) discloses an adjustable hunter seat in which the backrest tilt angle and the seat tilt angle can be independently set prior to use but remain fixed during use. The apparatus is capable of swiveling horizontally and may be folded for compact carry and storage. This apparatus does not comprise any features to assist the user in rising from a reclining to a sitting position.
U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2010/0176639 (Balgaard, 2010) discloses an assisted-lift reclining chair that is designed to be used in conjunction with a conventional lay-down blind. The chair aids a hunter in rising from a reclining to a sitting position by use of a torsion spring attached to a pivoting backrest. The spring force is designed so that the weight of the hunter compresses the spring, thereby forcing the backrest into a reclining position. The spring mechanism of this apparatus is somewhat similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,627 (a mousetrap-type spring operation), and the same disadvantages apply to this design as to the '627 patent.
U.S. Pat. No. D167,514 (Guild, 1952) discloses an ornamental design for a contour chair that can be folded, for use as au ottoman. The shape of this chair cannot provide for rocking motion.
U.S. Pat. No. D377,445 (Sando, 1993) discloses an ornamental design for a foldable beach chair. The chair appears to have a rounded bottom that might provide some rocking ability, but it does not appear to compose any stops that would provide for a stable reclining position.
A molded recliner rocker chair is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,354 (Tattrie, 1993). The apparatus has curved side rails of varying thickness to provide increased strength at the point of maximum loading. The apparatus, which is not designed for hunting applications, does not have stops to prevent over-rotation. In the reclining position, nor does it incorporate any type of fabric camouflage covering, nor is it designed to be comfortable and stable for an extended period of time when used in the reclining position.
For example, referring to FIG. 6 of the Tattrie patent, the invention is shown in the reclining position, with the user's feet elevated higher than his head. No means are shown for stabilizing the invention from rocking up and down as the user makes slight body shifts. In contrast, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the user's feet are positioned below the elevation of his head while he is in the reclining position, and the stop legs of the present invention prevent the invention from rocking when the user makes body shifts. Comparison of a person in a reclining position in these two inventions clearly illustrates that the structure of the present invention will result in a person being more comfortable for extended periods of time when using the present invention than the Tattrie invention.
Additionally, unlike the present invention, the Tattrie invention does not have a smooth seat to enable the user to swivel his body from side to side on the seat, nor does it have an optional conical-shaped base that allows the device to swivel from side to side on the ground surface. The Tattrie design is not compatible with the optional length adjustment features of the leg rest, seatback and headrest of the present invention. The shape of the Tattrie invention is not compatible with being transported by sliding (as a sled) or carrying on the back (as a backpack) as is the present invention. Finally, the Tattrie invention does not have a feature for adjusting the center of balance, as is provided by the optional storage bags of the present invention.
In addition to issued and pending patents, there are numerous non-patented devices that are commercially available. A variety of layout-type blinds, for example, are advertised for sale by Cabela's Inc. of Sidney, Nebr., a large retailer of hunting equipment. The Cabela's 2012 Waterfowl catalog listed over twenty different variations of layout blinds. All of these blinds are generally of a rectangular box shape and made so that a hunter can hide within the blind in a slightly inclined, face-upward, prone position, with the legs and buttocks separated from the ground surface by a layer of cloth and an optional pad, and the torso elevated from the ground by an internal frame.
The inventors of the present invention are also aware of one commercial product that is advertised as a combination decoy and blind that does provide an assisted sit-up feature. This product, named the “Goose Recliner,” is manufactured by Wildfowler Outfitter of Chaska, Minn. This device comprises on oversized goose decoy shell that is mounted over a reclining seat. The hunter sits in the seat in a reclining position with decoy shell positioned over his head and torso. To shoot, the decoy shell is popped away from the hunter via a spring-loaded swivel mechanism attached to the headrest portion of the seat. The hunter then rises to a sitting position via “a sling-style seat that propels you to a natural sitting position,” according to the manufacturer.
The latter device is structurally different from the present invention in that the seat portion of the Goose Recliner comprises multiple steel rods on each side of the frame that are joined by a hinged connector, and the rods move back and forth in relation to each other as the seat is moved from a reclining to a sitting position, in a similar manner to the rods comprising the frame of a chaise-lounge lawn chair. In contrast, the parts of the present invention remain fixed in relation to the other parts as the device is “rocked” forward from a reclining to a sitting position. The present invention is, therefore, advantageous over the Goose Recliner because it eliminates the requirement for hinges and parts that move with respect to other parts of the device and is thereby more durable and less prone to failure.
In addition to commercial blinds, there are also commercially available camouflage covers that may be purchased separately from the blinds and that may be placed over the blinds to simulate, for example, green or brown vegetation or snow. Like the blinds, these commercial covers are all generally shaped as the term of a rectangular box, in order to fit over the blinds, in contrast to the shroud covering of the present invention, which is of a free-form shape.